Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Book Discussion on Terror Financing in Kashmir

On 01 August 2024, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted a comprehensive book discussion on Dr Abhinav Pandya’s book titled Terror Financing in Kashmir. Under the aegis of Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, the event brought together a distinguished panel of discussants, including Shri S M Sahai, Lt Gen Satish Dua (Retd), and Amb Anil Trigunayat (Retd), to delve into the complex issue of terror financing in the Kashmir region.

August 09, 2024 Event Report

Defence Technology Ecosystem for Aatmanirbhar Bharat

This report is an outcome of a study conducted by the Vivekananda International Foundation to find out the causes of shortfall in performance and work out recommendations for further reforms in the defence sector. This study was conducted in four components, including four thematic roundtables chaired by prominent personalities like the former Defence Secretary, former Secretary Defence (R&D), former Secretary (DST) and the Vice Chancellor of DIAT; several subject-specific seminars; study of Defence Technology Ecosystems (DTEs) of important countries and review of previous Indian studies.

July 26, 2024 VIF Report

Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure

Maj Gen P K Mallick, VSM (Retd)

… digitisation and connectivity of CII have introduced new vulnerabilities and risks to threaten the resilience of essential services ... requires a comprehensive and coordinated safeguard of such infrastructures against cyber threats by a collective effort from government, private sector, academia and international partners...

July 05, 2024 Paper

Talk by India's first NMSC, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC (Retd), on Maritime Security of India

On 18 April, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk on “Maritime Security of India” by Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, NMSC. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) was also present. The Talk was also attended by Sh. Jayant Mishra, Forner Director General, Department of Revenue Intelligence. In addition, Indian Coast Guard was represented by DIG Ajay Chaturvedi. Cmde Manish Sinha, Captain KS Vikramaditya, Comdt RK Shrivastava along with three other scholars participated from the National Maritime Foundation. The VIF participants included Lt.

April 26, 2024 Event Report

Defence Preparedness – A Study Group Report

The purpose of constituting the Study Group on Defence Preparedness was to delve into the issues confronting the nation’s defence preparedness. The focus herein was directed at preservation of the nation’s territorial integrity in the face of China’s persistence in realigning, unilaterally and by the use of military force, the traditional Indo-Tibet Border; the long-continuing military confrontation astride the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) is an obvious preliminary to China’s that grand design.

December 22, 2023 VIF Report

VIF-FICCI Homeland Security Conference 2023: Cyber, AI & Data Analytics for Internal Security

There has been much contemplation on the development of new technologies and their role in the progress of our societies. It is widely observed that when a nation is on a progress path with new technologies, the security aspect has been the least considered component during the development of these technologies. As many technologies are like the double-edged sword, they can be used or abused. There is a need for us to switch into the ‘mission’ mode and work towards the management and security of the cyberspace.

October 05, 2023 Event Report

India’s Defence Exports: Recent Trends and the Way Forward

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Research Fellow, VIF

In a highly competitive international defence market, India has recently made its mark and has huge opportunity to become a significant player. India’s defence exports have reached to an all-time high of approximately ₹16,000crore (US $ 1.94 billion) in the FY 2022-2023, a notable ten-fold increase from the FY 2016–17, when exports were merely ₹1,521 crore (US $ 184.59 million). This is a significant step towards India’s stated goal of exporting ₹35,000 crore (US $ 5 billion) worth of aerospace and defence equipment annually by 2025 and becoming a net defence exporter.

September 16, 2023 Paper

Contemporary Leadership: Challenges and Lessons from Ancient Indian Wisdom

Dr Anurag Jaiswal

Lt. Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM

Contemporary leadership is dynamic & constantly evolving which seeks to explore and understand the principles and practices that are necessary for effective leadership in today's rapidly changing world. Present day leadership models and theories have emerged to meet the demands of a complex and unpredictable global environment. In recent years, military and civil landscape across the world has undergone significant transformation.

July 28, 2023 Issue Brief

Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Indo-Pacific and the Way Ahead for Indo-Pacific Partnership for MDA (IPMDA)

AK Chawla (Vice Admiral), PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, PhD (Retd.)

Commodore Gopal Suri

… MDA signifies a need for situational awareness at sea, which necessitates being cognisant of the position and intentions of all maritime actors in all dimensions … IPMDA is aimed at curbing maritime free-run in the Indo-Pacific …

July 28, 2023 Issue Brief

Smart Theatre Command : A Pre-requisite for to a Joint Theatre Command

Air Marshal (Dr) Rajeev Sachdeva AVSM (PhD) (Retd)

Abstract Creation of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs was a historical moment for the Indian Armed Forces and has infused the Military into National Security Mechanism. Government of India, as of 1st Jan 2020, carved out Allocation of Business (AOB) Rules for the Secretary DMA, directly tasking the CDS to restructure the Military Organisation and create Theatre Commands.

July 21, 2023 Issue Brief